Spreader or former for dress-girdles.



No. 858,886. PATENTED JULY 2,1907.

. R. A. MAYWALD.

SPREADER 0R FoRMRR'PoR DRESS GIRDLES.

APILIOATION TILED MAY 12, 1906.

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{4 i eum AMR MM UNITED STATES ELEANOR. A. MAYWALD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SPREADER 0R FORMER FOR DRESS-GIRDLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 2, 1907.

Application filed May 12, 1906. serial No. 316,490.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELEANOR A. MAYWALD, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Brooklyn, city of New York, county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Spreader or Former for Dress-Girdles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to a spreader or former for dress girdles, and is designed to permit the quick and easy conversion of ribbon or cloth into girdles without sewing or the use of frames or stiffening material and to permit regulation of the Width of the girdle as desired.

My invention consists in an adjustable spreader, preferably formed of flexible material, provided at its ends with opposed clasps for holding the ends of the ribbon or cloth, and in improved means for adjusting the length of the spreader.

The objects of my invention are to improve and simplify spreaders or formers for girdles such as described, to make the same readily adjustable, to make the same ornamental but not unduly conspicuous, to make the same easy to operate, and generally to provide a former or spreader such as described, which shall be simple, compact, easy to use and relatively inexpensive and easy to manufacture.

I will now proceed to describe my invention with reference to the accompanying drawings in which a girdle spreader or former, constructed in accordance with my invention, is illustrated, and will then point out the novel features in claims.

' In the said drawings: Figure 1 is a view showing the girdle in use, the main portion of the spreader being indicated in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a top view of the spreader; Fig. 3 is a side view thereof; Fig. 4 is a detail longitudinal section on a larger scale, of the central portion of the spreader, indicating the means for adjusting the length. Fig. 5 is a side view of the spreader, illustrating an alternative form of clasp which may be employed.

In the said drawings, I designates the fabric of the girdle and 2 the spreader. Said spreader comprises two relatively opposed clasps 3, that is to say, clasps the holding portions of which confront or face toward each other so as to be able to hold opposite edges of a ribbon or strip of cloth; said clasps connected by an adjustable strut comprising two strips 4, preferably formed of flexible sheet metal and having a sliding or telescopic connection with each other, so that the distance between the clasps may be varied as desired. 55 indicate guide collars each formed on one of said strips and embracing the other strip, and 6 designates a clamp for locking the members 4 when properly adjusted. While I do not limit myself to the particular form of such clamp shown, the form shown is very suitable for the purpose. It comprises a cam 7 pivoted to ears 8 struck up from one of the members 4, said cam adapted to engage the other of said members and having a lever 9 by which it may be operated. When this lever is raised it opens the clamp and the two members 4 may be moved freely; but when the said lever 9 is pushed down, the cam 7 holds the two members 4 very firmly by frictional engagement with one of said members, thus practically preventing all movement of the said members.

Instead of using the jaw clasps shown in Figs. 2 and S I may use any other suitable clasp, as for example, mere spiral coils of wire 10, as indicated in Fig. 5, the ribbon or fabric to be held, being inserted between adjacent coils, as shown. These coils may be covered if desired, with an ornamental plate 11 as indicated in Fig. 5, in which the coils are shown so covered.

In the use of my device, the spreader may be adjusted to theldesired width and then the edges of the ribbon or other fabric inserted into the clasps 3 or 10; or if desired, the ribbon or fabric may first be inserted into the clasps and then the width of the girdle (as determined by the length of the spreader) adjusted afterward, the construction of the clamp shown permitting its operation through the fabric if necessary.

What I claim is:

1. In a spreader or former, such as described, the combination of two opposing gripping clasps fixedly secured to opposite ends of a pair of slidably adjustable bar members and locking means on said bar members intermediate their ends to secure them in any desired relative position, said lockingmeans comprising gripping means adapted to hold at substantially any position of adjustment of said bar members.

2. In a spreader or former such as described, the combination with clasps, of a connection therefor comprising two metal strips each provided with a guide collar for the ELEANOR A. MAYWALD.

Witnesses:

FREDERICK .T. MAYWALD,

H. M. MARBLE. 

